Through what has now been months of public strife between Metal Gear solid creator Hideo Kojima and rights holder to the series Konami, the publisher has been quick to reassure fans that Kojima is “100% committed and will continue to work on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom PainYou wouldn’t know that from looking at the final box art for the game, though.
The new box art, shown above as downloaded directly from Konami’s press site, is missing both the Kojima Productions logo and the all-caps “A HIDEO KOJIMA GAME” note that many previous Metal Gear solid spell. That’s a change from the temporary box art of the game’s official announcement, which also featured a “rating pending” mark from the ESRB (instead of the current M rating). That older art is still used at major retailers like Amazon to advertise the game.
Previously, Konami had removed the “Hideo Kojima” branding from everything Metal Gear solid art on her website. Until now, however, that decision didn’t seem to apply to the final box art for what is still a “Hideo Kojima game.”
The brand change confirms widely reported issues between Kojima and Konami, including the cancellation of the Kojima-led Silent hills project and removal of the game’s “playable trailer” from PSN. The move also lends weight to recent rumors that Kojima Productions has been “forced to disband,” according to the Japanese voice actor who plays Solid Snake in the Metal Gear solid spell.
Konami did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Ars. In May, however, Konami countered reports of a new mobile-first focus for the company and sought to reassure fans about the future of the company. Metal Gear solid and Silent Hill franchises. “We have nurtured them with care for many years since their inception and will continue to produce products for both franchises, but we are not currently at a stage where we can announce the path these future titles will take,” Konami PR director Jay Boor said in a public letter at the time.